UPDATED 12/08/2020: As the COVID-19 crisis changes by the day, Australia’s states and territories continue to alter their restrictions and border measures to suit.
Here are the latest details on where you can and can’t travel around Australia right now:
Queensland
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk declared all of New South Wales and the ACT hotspots and closed its border to those travelling from the regions as of Saturday 8 August.
The border is also closed to all of Victoria.
The Queensland border remains open to those travelling from Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory, and all arrivals must sign a border declaration on entry.
All the latest information is available here.
Tasmania
Tasmania was expected to open its border to certain states from 7 August to create “safe-travel-bubbles” with South Australia, Northern Territory and Western Australia.
However, Premier Peter Gutwein decided the borders will remain closed to all states and territories until at least 31 August 2020.
More information can be found on Tasmania’s border closures and openings here.
New South Wales
NSW has temporarily imposed border restrictions with Victoria, meaning anyone who has been in Victoria in the last 14 days can not enter the state.
Other states or territories are permitted to enter NSW, however the government urges all travellers to “comply with any border rules of the state or territory you are entering or leaving”.
The latest information is available here.
Victoria
While Victoria doesn’t have any border restrictions, other states and territories won’t allow you to enter if you have been in Victoria in the past 14 days. Residents of metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire are currently under ‘stay at home’ restrictions.
More information on Victoria’s border closures available here.
Western Australia
Western Australia’s border remains closed to all other states and territories.
McGowan remains firm that the border will stay closed.
“We’ve just kept a very, very strong arrangement in place to keep the borders closed, to make sure it’s easily understood that we keep people from elsewhere out. And thus far it’s worked,” he said.
Stay up to date here.
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory borders are closed to COVID-19 hotspots Victoria and Greater Sydney, but is open to other states.
On 11 August, Northern Territory chief minister Michael Gunner said he is putting “Territorians first” and will keep the border closed to COVID-19 hotspots for another 18 months.
“We have got an indefinite ban on Victoria, and Sydney keeps bubbling away to a point where I can’t give you a date where that would ever lift,” he told ABC News.
Gunner also advised Northern Territory residents not to travel outside of the territory.
“My advice to every Territorian, if you can, stay here in the Territory,” he said.
“You’re safe here, don’t go. If you can, cancel your Christmas holiday plans, stay here in the Northern Territory.”
The latest information can be found here.
South Australia
Travellers from Northern Territory, Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia are currently allowed to enter South Australia directly without restriction.
Travellers from Victoria, other than essential travellers, are not permitted to travel to South Australia.
Meanwhile, travellers from ACT and New South Wales, other than essential travellers, will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days after entering South Australia and submit for COVID-19 on arrival and on their 12th day in the state.
Stay up to date with South Australia’s border closures here.
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